First full week back at work, first tea of the day. And boy, did I need it this morning. I was sooo sleepy I nearly missed my bus stop, and I’m sure I wasn’t all that productive until at least lunch time. Having a long Christmas break makes work feel very strange. Anyway, a cup of this helped to sort me out. While brewing, I was struck by the smell. It’s gorgeous. Creamy, zesty, fresh, zingy lemon awesomeness. I gave it about 3.5 minutes in boiling water, and then removed my infuser. The liquor is a lovely green tinged golden brown, and I can smell…lemon!

To taste, this is just as fabulous as I hoped it would be. It’s lemon all the way, flavour-wise, but I really do like the creaminess I can taste here. It was slightly unexpected, in a way…for some reason I just didn’t think of guayusa and creamy as two things which could go together. I’m pleased that they do, though. Underneath the creaminess is a bold, tart, zesty lemon flavour. This comes out more in the aftertaste, when the creaminess has worn off, but it’s just as welcome. The guayusa is pretty much completely undetectable under all the lemon.

I’m so glad I picked up a bag of this — it’s a really great wake-up tea, and one I’m going to be revisiting a lot this week, I know. It makes getting up worthwhile.

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Hi :) I’m Sarah, 28, and I live in Norfolk in the UK. My tea obsession began when a friend introduced me to Teapigs a good few years ago now. Since then, I’ve been insatiable. Steepster introduced me to a world of tea I never knew existed, and my goal is now to TRYALLTHETEAS. Or most of them, anyway.

I still have a deep rooted (and probably life-long) preference for black tea. My all-time favourite is Assam, but Ceylon and Darjeeling also occupy a place in my heart. Flavoured black tea can be a beautiful thing, and I like a good chai latte in the winter.

I also drink a lot of rooibos/honeybush tea, particularly on an evening. Sometimes they’re the best dessert replacements, too. White teas are a staple in summer — their lightness and delicate nature is something I can always appreciate on a hot day.

I’m still warming up to green teas and oolongs. I don’t think they’ll ever be my favourites, with a few rare exceptions, but I don’t hate them anymore. My experience of these teas is still very much a work-in-progress. I’m also beginning to explore pu’erh, both ripened and raw. That’s my latest challenge!

I’m still searching for the perfect fruit tea. One without hibiscus. That actually tastes of fruit.

You’ve probably had enough of me now, so I’m going to shut up. Needless to say, though, I really love tea. Long may the journey continue!

My rating system:

91-100: The Holy Grail. Flawless teas I will never forget.

81-90: Outstanding. Pretty much perfection, and happiness in a cup.

71-80: Amazing. A tea to savour, and one I’ll keep coming back to.

61-70: Very good. The majority of things are as they should be. A pleasing cup.

51-60: Good. Not outstanding, but has merit.

41-50: Average. It’s not horrible, but I’ve definitely had better. There’s probably still something about it I’m not keen on.

31-40: Almost enjoyable, but something about it is not for me.

11-30: Pretty bad. It probably makes me screw my face up when I take a sip, but it’s not completely undrinkable.